5-year-old Surrey girl dies of meningitis but public health measures not taken

Shelley Jordan

December 11, 2013 - 5:00 AM

SURREY, B.C. - A five-year-old girl in Surrey, B.C., has died of meningitis, but a medical health officer says public health measures do not need to be taken to prevent the bacterial infection at her school.

The kindergarten student died on the weekend after being transferred to BC Children's Hospital from Surrey Memorial.

Dr. Michelle Murti of the Fraser Health Authority doesn't anticipate further cases of the illness but says the authority will keep in contact with the school's health officer to monitor the situation.

She says bacterial meningitis has become rare in B.C. because of the use of vaccines covered through routine childhood immunization.

Common symptoms of meningitis are high fever, intense headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting.

In young children, symptoms may include a major change in behaviour including sleepiness, irritability, excessive crying and lack of appetite.